Weekly e-Epistle
from
St. James' Mill Creek
Wilmington, Delaware
November 28th, 2021

We'd love for you to join us!

We would be pleased if you joined us in person or online from the comfort of your home for church services via Facebook Live at 9:30am.


Here is a PDF of this Sunday's bulletin for you to enjoy.
Advent 1

The season of Advent arrives as we begin again the liturgical year. This year, as the year before and the year before that, going all the way back to the first season of Advent, we spend this time preparing for both the celebration the Incarnation and the Second Advent, a time when God’s kingdom will be made known “on Earth as it is in Heaven.”
 
This may sound a bit overwhelming, especially in light of everything else happening around us. You’ll hear me talk a lot, though, about the grace of the liturgical year, bringing us back around at a reliable time to give us a chance to do over the things we might have missed out on last time or the year before that…going all the way back to…well, you get the point.
 
The new church year reminds us that it’s okay if we didn’t light all the Advent candles last year; we can try again this year. It reminds us that if we didn’t sing those familiar hymns last year, we get another chance this year. And if you didn’t fully prepare yourself to see where Christ’s second Advent is already happening, that is to say, where Christ is already being made known, we all get another chance this year.
 
So as we enter this new church year, a season of Advent that may seem as familiar as the Christmas songs on radio, try to see where Christ is already being made known in your life, where the kingdom of God is appearing amongst us already. We may all be surprised that it’s happening much more often than we initially thought.
Thanksgiving Eve Service

This year, St. Mark's United Methodist Church
 1700 Limestone Road, Wilmington, DE 19804
will host the ecumenical Thanksgiving Eve Service on 

Wednesday, November 24th at 7:00 p.m.  

Please join us as we worship together with the other churches in our Mill Creek ministerium.  
The music will be presented by the combined choirs of the ministerium.  

We hope to see you there!  
Lighting the Advent Candle

Advent is quickly approaching, the first Sunday after Thanksgiving, November 28th. As it has been our tradition we will light the candle on the advent wreath and light an additional candle each week. We are asking if you would like to participate in lighting the advent candle and read a prayer.

If so, please call Liz in the office or send her an email at 302 994 1584 or office@stjamesmillcreek.comcastbiz.net

St. James' Pastoral Care Team

St. James' Pastoral Care Team continues to support our parish family and our community.
 
If you or someone you know is in need, we: 
 
·    send cards, make phone calls, and pray with you and/or for you.
·    For now, in an abundance of caution, our home, hospital, and Eucharistic visits are on hold.
 
Please call the office (302-994-1584) and leave a message. Someone will get back to you. Messages are retrieved daily, seven days a week.
 
Please let us know if you need us or someone you know needs us. We will not know if you do not tell us.
“Blessful” Meditations

We all know that life can be a little stressful and hectic sometimes. We hope that by reading this short bible passage and watching a relaxing video will help you take a moment and reflect on God’s gifts.  

Matthew 17:20

"Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you."
We are grateful for the support that enables us to serve lunch at the Emmanuel Dining Room and provide needed clothing and food for those being served at the Hope Center.
 
EMMANUEL DINING ROOM
Providing a daily lunch to those in need in Wilmington

Our next date for providing lunch for Emmanuel Dining Room will be Sunday, December 31st, 2021. We continue to deliver our lunch items and extra bottles of water. We hope we will be able to actually serve our guests in the dining room sometime this fall.

New Castle County HOPE Center
for Individuals and Families in need of temporary housing and support services.

What started as temporary housing during the cold weather of 2020-2021 has grown into a permanent center that provides housing and support services for individuals and families who are without adequate housing in New Castle County. 

New Castle County (NCC) purchased the former Sheraton Hotel on Airport Rd (now named the New Castle County HOPE Center) and kept the hotel management staff to keep the facility running.
Working together, many non-profit organizations including Family Promise provide various services and support for individuals and families to obtain emergency and more significant housing and medical, psychological, and job skills opportunities as well.
 
The hotel can accommodate 400 and suites and adjoining rooms are given to families and enable households to stay together. Housing is coordinated through the Delaware Housing Alliance.  
 
If you know of anyone who needs this housing, please ask them to call 1-833-FIND-BED (1-833-3463-233) and leave a message.
 
How St. James' can help:
Review the list below and see if there are items you could provide.
 
Drop the items off:

·        Monday-Thursday from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the parish hall porch  
Please place your donations in the bin labeled Donations for HOPE Center on the porch of the parish hall.  Liz will bring in the bin and any donated items at 12:30 p.m.
·        Weekly, we will take the donations to Friendship House
 
Items needed:
 
  • Diapers - all sizes - Urgent need for size 5 & 6
  • Uber/Lyft Tickets in $25 increments
  • Washable Mesh Laundry Bags with drawstring
  • individual size creamers for coffee
  • Snack bags - pretzels, chips, or goldfish
  • Powdered Drink Mixes - Iced Tea/Lemonade
  • Small containers of peanut butter and tuna fish (easy open)
  • Microwaveable one-dish meals
  • Quart size/ Gallon size and sandwich size Ziplock bags
  • Fruit cups, apple sauce, and pudding
  • Individually wrapped crackers, granola bars, and cereal bars
  • $5 gift cards - Target, Acme, Wawa
  • Hot Chocolate mix
  • Baby wipes
  • Non-alcohol hand sanitizer
  • Non-refrigerated milk and powdered milk
  • NEW Underwear, and socks - all sizes, children through adult
  • New or gently used t-shirts and light jackets
  • New books for adults and children
  • New puzzles, crossword books, and puzzle books - adult/children
  • Art kits, adult and children coloring books, colored pencils
  • Sunscreen
  • Umbrellas
  • Hygiene items such as toothbrushes, toothpaste, and soap (regular and travel size)
  • Tide pods or other laundry pods
  • Containers of ground coffee (the staff brews coffee daily for the guests)
 
Thank you, 
St. James' Outreach Ministry
Prayer Team

One Sunday of every month, the members of the prayer team hold a “virtual” ZOOM prayer service (focusing on the prayer requests shared by parishioners through calls or emails to the church office 994-1584 or to individual members of the prayer team.) We lift up these prayer requests and other concerns of the parish, community, and world.
Also, weekly we share the prayers and petitions that have been given to us and they are lifted in the daily prayers of the team members. All are welcome to provide their prayer requests and participate in these services.
 
For those who have an immediate prayer need or would like to receive the ZOOM codes and join the prayer team service, we invite you to email your prayer needs/requests to Cindy Fauerbach cindyfauerbach@verizon.net or call Cindy at
302-584-8053
 
NOTE: Our next ZOOM prayer team will be Sunday, December 12th at 3PM.
Prayer for the First Sunday in Advent,
from the New Zealand Prayer Book

Come, O come Emmanuel,
you are the way, the truth and the life;
Come, living Saviour
come to your world which waits for you.
Hear this prayer for your love’s sake.
Amen.


Find more Morning Psalm and prayers please visit
https://delaware.church/psalms-and-prayers/
COVID-19 Restrictions

 
Our firm desire is to worship our Lord in beauty, holiness, AND safety! Please be assured that the St. James' leadership team has worked hard to have meaningful worship while at the same time making our environment as safe as possible for everyone.
  • Church entry time will be 9:15 a.m.
  • Please sanitize hands before entering the church.
  • Face masks are mandatory. 
  • At communion, please wait until you are back in your seat to consume your wafer.
For Access to the News of the Diocesan Publications
St. James' Mill Creek
2106 St. James Church Road
Wilmington, DE 19808

302.994.1584